The Summer Of Glass Skin, Glossy Nails & Head-To-Toe Luminosity

This summer, beauty is officially entering its ultra-glossy era. From dewy, light-catching complexions to sheer, reflective manicures, the obsession with “glass skin” is expanding far beyond skincare—and becoming a full beauty philosophy. For this special series of Q&As, we’re speaking with the experts and brand insiders behind some of the season’s most glow-inducing launches to unpack why hydration, luminosity, and high-shine finishes are dominating beauty right now. From cult-favourite serums by SkinCeuticals and La Roche-Posay to the glass nail trend taking over via essie, consider this your inside look at the products, trends, and techniques defining summer beauty in 2026. —Noa Nichol

Rita Remark, Global Ambassador and Nail Artist, essie

Glass nails are emerging as the manicure equivalent of glass skin. Why are sheer, glossy finishes resonating so strongly right now?

These translucent glossy textures give a playful elevation to classic summer shades. Glossy, glassy hues give the illusion of depth, and a chewy gel-like texture that feels both expensive and casual. It’s also a lighthearted way to add color that complements rather than overwhelm an outfit.

After years of bold nail art and maximalism, are we seeing a shift toward nails that feel more effortless, polished, and light-reflective?

Simply, yes 🙂

Beauty trends are very reactive, yet balanced. Nails are in a moment of creative restraint. After years of trending, colorful design-heavy looks, color and texture are taking a more prominent role over design and shape. It is also balanced by more playful, color forward makeup looks taking center stage. 

What makes a “glass nail” manicure feel modern rather than just simple—and how can people recreate the look at home this summer?

Previously, sheer or “jelly” nails were made in shades of aqua, candy pink, lime green or violet. They felt playful and quirky like colored lenses. Modern glass nails have a fuller, thicker texture for a super high glass shine and colors that feel muted and distinctive like navy, plum and rose. 

My fave shades of the new essie glass nails collection are “cin cin” “full blown” and “Blue light” .

Etienne-Vincent Poirier, Marketing Manager Anti-Age, La Roche-Posay

Hydration seems to be the foundation of nearly every major beauty trend right now—from glass skin to minimal makeup. Why is deeply hydrated skin having such a major moment?

Hydration is a fundamental pillar of healthy-looking skin, and this global shift toward minimalist, “glass skin” aesthetics highlights a collective desire for a naturally luminous complexion over heavy makeup coverage. As the #1 dermatologist-recommended skincare brand worldwide, we are incredibly proud to see the mainstream beauty conversation aligning with what we have advocated for decades: that a strong, deeply hydrated skin barrier is the absolute foundation for natural radiance, bounce, and resilience. 

Hyalu B5 Serum and Cream are designed to create bounce and plumpness in the skin. What role does texture and skin quality play in achieving that effortless summer glow?

The secret to that effortless summer glow is actually all about how smooth and plump your skin is, because rough, dehydrated skin scatters light instead of reflecting it, which makes the complexion look dull. The Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum and Cream deliver a highly effective skin plumping action by combining multi-weight Hyaluronic Acids with skin-refining LHA and barrier-supporting Vitamin B5. By intensely infusing moisture up to eight layers deep and gently smoothing uneven texture, these formulas work to instantly plump the appearance of fine lines and surface dryness, delivering a radiant, sun-kissed finish.

Consumers are increasingly looking for skincare that delivers both visible results and barrier support. Why has that balance become so important in modern beauty routines?

Modern beauty consumers are highly educated and understand that visible anti-aging results should never come at the cost of skin discomfort or barrier disruption. This essential balance between high efficacy and optimal tolerance is at the core of La Roche-Posay’s formulation philosophy. By pairing powerful wrinkle-plumping Hyaluronic Acids with protective and repairing ingredients like Vitamin B5 and Ectoin, we ensure that the skin’s moisture barrier is fortified while visible signs of aging are corrected. This dual-action approach delivers the immediate, visible correction consumers demand while actively maintaining a strong, resilient moisture barrier, proving that advanced clinical results and skin comfort are no longer mutually exclusive.

Maude Guillemette Regional Medical Trainer, SkinCeuticals

Glass skin” has become one of the defining beauty aesthetics of the moment. How has the shift toward healthy, luminous skin changed the way consumers approach skincare today?

It is true that Glass skin has taken the skincare world by storm. There is a lot of trends currently going on, and is glass skin one of them?

The reality is that glass skin is inspired by the results of neuromodulator, which are defined by having an extremely smooth and bright looking skin and little to no visible signs of aging.

When SkinCeuticals launched P-TIOX serum, the brand didn’t just follow a trend, they established how to achieve a Glass skin look while redefining how to complement the effect of one of the most popular treatments on the market.

Not only do consumers want healthier skins and a more luminous glow, but they also want to mimic what treatments are doing and that I think is one of the main shifts we see in the skincare approach of consumer today. They want more proven results, and they are looking for solutions that will complement their treatments perfectly. This is one of the main reasons why medical grade skincare like SkinCeuticals is so important because our approach is to give real tangible results to patient with or without treatments.

C E Ferulic has maintained cult status for years in a trend-driven industry. What makes the formula continue to resonate with both dermatologists and consumers?

Science! Science! Science!

CE Ferulic has set the standards on how pure Vitamin C should be formulated so that we use its full potency topically, AND CE Ferulic was and is to this day the only antioxidant to have shown 8X the photoprotection against UV.

It is the #1 recommended antioxidant by dermatologist because it has scientifically shown that when use every morning, our skin is protected against the 5 most damaging external stressors that we are exposed to everyday (UVA, UVB, pollution, blue light and infrared).

I love to say that, when using an optimally formulated Vitamin C like CE Ferulic, the happy accidents of that daily use would be to have a brighter skin and less visible aging signs. The truth is we gain so much more, we reverse skin damage and prevent future damage, we decrease skin redness, protect the skin from the harmful environment.

This is why patients, consumers and dermatologists are trusting CE Ferulic or any other Vitamin C serum from SkinCeuticals. Because we have the most stable, most potent and most protective Vitamin C on the market with scientific support bringing significant results for consumers and patients.

P-TIOX is positioned as part of the next generation of glow-focused skincare. How does smoothing texture contribute to that reflective, lit-from-within look people are chasing right now?

With P-TIOX its all about Glass skin and glow! But what is the definition of a glass skin? A glass skin is a skin without irregular texture at its surface, little to no wrinkles or fine lines and a skin that is well hydrated so that light can be optimally reflected.

Enlarged pores, fine lines, and flaky skin create microscopic high and low points across the skin making it difficult for the light to reflect in one direction. By smoothing out these micro-irregularities with exfoliating ingredients and by relaxing the surface of the skin with peptides, you eliminate these micro-shadows. Without millions of tiny shadows absorbing light, the entire surface of the skin appears brighter, more cohesive, and uniformly radiant.

This is exactly how P-TIOX is working, we gently exfoliate the surface of the skin, provide a smooth skin texture by using peptides, and let’s not forget hydration for this lit-from-within look, P-TIOX has been formulated with humectant to provide the perfect level of hydration.